Airports: Sniffer Dogs

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many sniffer dogs trained to find meat and meat products as a measure to prevent foot-and-mouth disease are working in United Kingdom ports and airports; and at which locations.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has a programme to deploy nine detector dogs trained to detect meat and other products of animal origin (POAO) at the United Kingdom border. There are currently four dogs available for deployment although this number can fluctuate as dogs are replaced through ill health or retirement and new dogs and handlers trained.
	The dogs are deployed on a flexible and mobile basis according to risk and where they will have the most impact. They can be deployed to any port, or airport, or point of entry into Great Britain.
	Responsibility for detecting illegal POAO in Northern Ireland lies with Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. They do not currently have any detector dogs.
	UKBA take its responsibility to secure UK borders very seriously which is why it works closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to control illegal animal products that come to the UK from outside Europe.

Armed Forces: Accommodation

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the accommodation provided in messes in the United Kingdom for servicemen and women has en suite facilities for (a) Officers, (b) Warrant Officers and Sergeants, and (c) junior ranks.

Lord Astor of Hever: Information on the proportion of single living accommodation (SLA) in the UK which has en-suite facilities for officers, warrant officers and sergeants, and junior ranks, is not held centrally or in a consistent manner and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Aviation: Air Quality

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what evidence the statement made on the Department for Transport website regarding the chemical tricresyl phosphate in cabin air that "It is the concentration of a substance which determines its health effect" was based.

Earl Attlee: The weight of substance in a given weight or volume of material is fundamental to the understanding of its potential to induce adverse health effects. It is behind everyday concepts such as dilution of materials, or dosage administered, and refers to the strength, or concentration, of the substance in question.
	When considering whether someone is breathing anything harmful it is important to know what concentrations of any substance there might be in a given volume of air. Until that is known we are unable to consider whether the quantities of a substance detected may or may not have an effect on health, or are acceptable in the environment or workplace.
	That is why we included a FAQ on this matter in the cabin air research part of the departmental website.

Aviation: Air Quality

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what selection process was used to determine the sampling equipment used to perform the Cabin Air Sampling Study Functionality Test in 2007; and whether consideration was given to the use of a portable mass spectrometer which was at that time available at Cranfield University.

Earl Attlee: The report on the functionality tests about scientific equipment for use in cabin air sampling was published by Cranfield University in January 2008. This includes the rationale for the choice of equipment. The report is available at: http://dspace. lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/2389.

Banking: Cheques

Lord True: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed withdrawal of cheques on older people without access to the internet.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential risks of telephone and e-banking for older people and other vulnerable groups after the proposed withdrawal of cheques.

Lord Sassoon: The Payments Council has made a clear statement that cheque facilities will continue to be available until the alternatives, including a paper-based system, are put in place and are available, acceptable and widely adopted.
	Older people are not a homogeneous group and their needs vary greatly. Any alternative to cheques therefore needs to suit the needs of all older people.

Banking: Cheques

Lord True: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many personal bank or building society customers have made representations to them in favour of the abolition of cheques.

Lord Sassoon: The Government have received representations from individuals in favour of faster payments and a cashless society operating with electronic money. However it is not possible to determine how many of these are from bank or building society customers.

Benefits

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of (a) men and (b) women who will be affected by the proposal to introduce a time limit for the payment of contributory employment and support allowance.

Lord Freud: The policy is expected to affect around 690,000 people in total by 2015-16. Of these, early estimates indicate around 350,000 to be men and 340,000 to be women.
	The numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	Further information can be found in the equality impact assessment which has been published here: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-esa-time-limit-wr20l1.pdf.

Bullying

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Equality and Human Rights Commission did not include bullying based on caste in their study Prevention and Response to Identity-Based Bullying Among Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales.

Baroness Verma: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's-length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
	When the research study Prevention and Response was commissioned it was intended to cover the characteristics that were expected at that time to be included in the forthcoming Equality Act 2010. In addition, the EHRC decided to obtain data for instances of specific racial bullying in relation to faith, Roma, Travellers and Gypsies, and asylum seekers and refugees.
	The EHRC chose to look at those specific types of racial bullying because evidence and, specifically, its own research work in the Staying On report, pointed to particular problems for young people in those groups. In the surveys of young people as part of the Staying On report, caste was not raised in relation to experiences of bullying.

Census

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government which persons within a household have the legal responsibility to complete the 2011 Census.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 7 March (Official Report, col. 1354), what is their understanding of the term "head of the household"; and on what, if any, legal source they are basing that understanding.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director-General for ONS, to Baroness Scott of Needham Market, dated March 2011.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking, (a) which persons within a household have the legal responsibility to complete the 2011 Census (HL7491); and (b) what is the Government's understanding of the term "head of the household"; and on what, if any, legal source they are basing that understanding. (HL7492)
	(a) It is the householder or joint householder who is responsible for completing the household census questionnaire on behalf of all residents living at their address. In households where the responsibilities of the householder fall on more than one person, any such person may complete the questionnaire on behalf of the entire household.
	Any person living at an address who is over the age of 16, may request an individual questionnaire, rather than be included on the household questionnaire.
	Any person responsible for completing a questionnaire may authorise any other person to do this on their behalf, if they are unable to do so themselves for any reason.
	(b) The terms "householder" or "joint householder" are used in the 2011 Census rather than "head of the household".
	The Census (England and Wales) Order 2009 (S.I 2009/3210) defines a householder or joint householder as "a person usually resident at the address who either owns or rents accommodation at that address, or is responsible for paying household bills and expenses there". A household is also defined in the order as being "one person living alone or a group (whether or not related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and share a living room, sitting room or dining room".

Crime: Knife Crime

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking on knife crime.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The coalition Government are committed to fighting knife, gang and gun-related violence.
	On 2 February we published the outcomes of a review by Brooke Kinsella into local anti-knife crime projects and announced that the Home Office will provide £18 million of funding between 2011 and 2013, to prevent gang and knife-related violence and youth crime. At least £14 million of that funding will be provided to voluntary organisations working with young people to stop their involvement in knife, gang and gun violence and other youth crime.

Electronic Communications

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefit to the United Kingdom economy of establishing an open and competitive market for video relay services.

Baroness Rawlings: No government assessment has yet been made of any contribution to the economy of establishing an open and competitive market for video relay services.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is currently considering responses to its consultation on proposals to implement the revised EU electronic communications framework. Many of these provide useful contributions to the impact assessments we are undertaking in relation to implementing the revised framework, including those provisions aimed at providing services for deaf and disabled end-users.
	In addition, Ofcom is currently undertaking a review of relay service provision for hearing and speech-impaired users of electronic communications. A consultation document will be published in the spring which will include Ofcom's analysis on the costs and benefits associated with video relay services and an impact assessment.
	A research report which will help inform that review was published on 4 February 2011 and can be read at http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/telecoms-research/ofcom-relay-services/ This report seeks to quantify the value to deaf people of the various options for relay services.

Electronic Communications

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the definition of "access to electronic communications services equivalent to that enjoyed by the majority of end-users" in the European Union Regulatory Framework for Electronic Communications.

Baroness Rawlings: Revisions to the EU Electronic Communications Framework, including the Universal Services Directive (USD), provide for member states to empower national regulatory authorities (Office of Communications [Ofcom] in the UK) to specify, where appropriate, requirements to ensure that disabled end-users:
	have access to electronic communications services equivalent to that enjoyed by the majority of end-users; andbenefit from the choice of undertakings and services available to the majority of end-users.
	The revised framework makes clear that responsibility for decisions on equivalence reside with the National Regulatory Authority (NRA).
	In order to fully implement these new provisions, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is proposing to make changes to Section 51 of the Communications Act 2003 to clarify Ofcom's power to impose a general condition in relation to equivalence. This will be in addition to the existing powers Ofcom has under general conditions of entitlement (GC 15) and the Universal Service Order 2003.
	In addition DCMS continues to analyse responses to the recent government public consultation on proposals to implement the revised framework, including the new Article 23a of the USD, detailed above.
	At the same time Ofcom is undertaking a review of relay services which support disabled end users in their use of electronic communications. The objective of this review is to assess whether current arrangements for the provision of relay services is adequate in delivering equivalence to voice telephony for hearing and speech-impaired end-users (including British Sign Language users) and, if they are not, to consider proportionate solutions. The formal public consultation element of this review will be launched later this spring.
	DCMS's proposed changes to the Communications Act 2003 will enable Ofcom, following the outcome of its review, to mandate the changes it deems appropriate and necessary to ensure that disabled end-users have access to the equivalence and choice required by the revisions to framework.

Energy: Carbon Prices

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government upon what oil price current carbon prices are based; and whether they will reconsider their carbon valuation for government policy appraisal.

Lord Marland: The non-traded sector carbon values (outside the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS)) used across Government in policy appraisal (DECC, 2009)1 were derived using the DECC oil price assumptions (DECC, 2008)2, set out in Table 1.
	
		
			 Table 1: DECC Oil price assumptions published in May 2008 
			 $2009/barrel Central Low High 
			 2010 67 47 88 
			 2015 70 47 93 
			 2020 72 47 98 
			 2025 75 47 103 
			 2030 78 47 109 
		
	
	The annual update to the price of EU allowances (the value of carbon in the EU ETS) used in policy appraisal (DECC, 2010)3 used the most recent revision to the fossil fuel price assumptions produced by DECC (DECC, 2009)4. The updated oil price assumptions are set out in Table 2.
	
		
			 Table 2: DECC Oil price assumptions published in May 2009 
			 $2009/barrel Central Low High 
			 2010 70 50 84 
			 2015 75 58 102 
			 2020 80 60 120 
			 2025 85 60 120 
			 2030 90 60 120 
		
	
	The carbon values used in policy appraisal are under review in 2011.
	It is worth noting that the level of the gas price has a bigger impact than the oil price on carbon prices.
	1 http://www.decc.gov.uk/media/viewfile.ashx?filepath =whatwedo/alowcarbon_uk/carbonvaluation/1_20090715105804_e_@@_ carbonvaluationinukpolicyappraisal. pdf&filetype=4&minwidth=true.
	2See Annex A in http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/statistics/projections/file48514.pdf.
	3http://www.decc.gov.uk/media/viewfile.ashx?filepath =whatwedo/alowcarbonuk/carbonvaluation/1_20100610131858_e_@@_ carbonvalues.pdf&filetype=4&rnin width=true.
	4 http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/statistics/projections/file51365.pdf.

Energy: Green Buildings

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to assist in the development and growth of a competitive market in the United Kingdom for companies providing green building materials and energy systems required to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Baroness Wilcox: The Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team has recently identified key proposals to help the UK construction industry rise to the challenge of the low carbon agenda. The Government are currently considering their response to the recommendations, which will be made in the spring.
	Construction is one of the sectors subject to a growth review, which aims to identify and address barriers to growth. We will also publish the Roadmap to a Green Economy this spring to provide clarity to business on our intentions to build a green economy.
	The Green Deal, the Government's comprehensive programme for improving the energy efficiency of homes and businesses from 2012, will stimulate demand for green building materials and energy efficiency products by providing a mechanism by which building owners or occupiers can fund improvements to existing homes and commercial properties.

Equal Pay

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their source of data on the extent of the gap in take-home pay between men and women in each of the United Kingdom's job classifications.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director-General for ONS, to Lord Lester of Herne Hill, dated March 2011.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what is Her Majesty's Government source of data on the extent of the gap in take-home pay between men and women in each of the United Kingdom's job classifications (HL7540).
	Levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
	The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom and is based on a 1 per cent sample of employee jobs taken from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) PAYE records.
	Estimates for April 2010 are published in the ASHE Statistical Bulletin at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/ashe1210.pdf.

EU: External Action Service

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the European Union External Action Service is expected to spend on public relations consultants; what will be the United Kingdom contribution to such expenditure; and why any necessary work cannot be done by the existing European Union communications staff.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The European External Action Service (EEAS) does not have specific provision in its own administrative budget for public relations consultants. However for specific activities it can draw on other already existing budgets managed by the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service, including a £12.5 million allocation for press and information. The UK contribution to the total EU budget, pre-abatement, is currently approximately 15 per cent. The council decision establishing the EEAS commits it to the aim of budget neutrality. We are reminding the high representative and other EU member states of this commitment, and that it must be achieved as soon as possible.

EU: UK Trade

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 8 February (WA 46-7), what was the trade balance between the United Kingdom and the European Union between 2005 and 2009 inclusive; how many United Kingdom jobs are lost as a result of any trade deficit; and how many jobs in the rest of the European Union depend on exports to the United Kingdom.

Baroness Wilcox: The UK trade deficit with the rest of the EU in goods and services was worth about £37 billion in 2005, £30 billion in 2006, £35 billion in 2007, £29 billion in 2008 and £27 billion in 2009.
	To our knowledge, there is no quantifiable estimate on the impact on jobs of the trade deficit between the UK and the rest of the EU. Undertaking such assessment would be a very complex exercise with no guarantee of a reliable result. It is recognised that a trade deficit does not necessarily mean a net loss of jobs. Both exports and imports are vital to the competitiveness of the UK economy.
	Open markets allow British companies to access cheap and competitive inputs. This is crucial in reducing their costs, upholding their competitiveness and therefore the level of employment when competing both on domestic and foreign markets. Moreover, the pressure of competition from domestic and foreign competitors is a crucial incentive for the efficient use of resources, innovation and investment. These are in turn key drivers of the competitiveness of British firms. On top of benefits for British companies, consumers in the United Kingdom benefit from greater choice and lowering prices. This additional purchase power translates in turn into more consumption of other goods and services produced in the UK, with a positive effect on jobs.
	For the methodological reasons set out above, the Government do not produce their own estimates of how many jobs in the rest of the EU depend on exports to the United Kingdom.

European Arrest Warrant

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to amend the European Arrest Warrant so that (a) there is no extradition for minor offences, (b) there are stronger safeguards for fundamental rights, and (c) there is a better system for removing warrants which have been refused; and when they expect to see changes.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Sir Scott Baker is currently chairing an independent review of the UK's extradition arrangements. One of the areas the review is considering is the UK's operation of the European arrest warrant (EAW). The panel is expected to report back to the Government by the end of the summer 2011 and it is important not to attempt to prejudge the outcome of the review.
	The decision whether to remove warrants that have been executed, whether resulting in extradition or refusal, is for the issuing member state to make.

Finance: Scotland

Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the Scottish financial services industry when compared with that of the United Kingdom industry.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The Scottish financial services industry continues to be an important part of the Scottish economy and also of the UK financial services sector as a whole.
	Official statistics from the Scottish Government and the Office for National Statistics show that financial services account for 7.6 per cent of Scottish gross value added, compared to 7.7 per cent in the UK as a whole.
	Data from the Scottish Government and the Office for National Statistics also show that gross value added from financial services in Scotland was 1.5 per cent less in the third quarter of 2010 compared to the previous quarter. The equivalent figure for the UK was a rise of 0.2 per cent. The position is reversed when a longer time period is considered. Gross value added from financial services in Scotland was 0.1 per cent less over the four quarters to quarter three 2010 in comparison to the preceding four quarters. The equivalent figure for the UK as whole was a fall of 4.6 per cent.

Finance: Scotland

Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of total assets under management in the United Kingdom were managed in Scotland in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, and (c) 2010.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The Government do not collect such data. However the Investment Management Association (IMA) estimates that around 12 per cent (£360 billion) of total UK assets under management were managed in Scotland as at December 2008. By December 2009 this figure had increased to 13 per cent (£445 billion) of total UK assets managed in Scotland. The figures for 2010 are not yet available.

Finance: Scotland

Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total workforce of the Scottish financial services industry.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics show that in the third quarter of 2010 there were an estimated 94,900 employees in the Scottish financial services industry. This represents 3.7 per cent of all jobs in Scotland.

General Lighthouse Authorities

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the General Lighthouse Authorities have spent on counsel's opinion in each year from 2005; and whether guidance exists on seeking legal opinions.

Earl Attlee: This is an operational matter for the General Lighthouse Authorities. The duties and responsibilities of the General Lighthouse Authorities and their relationship with the Department for Transport are set out in a framework document dated July 2008.

Government Departments: Energy Certificates

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government what level of display energy certificate was awarded to HM Treasury's office at 1 Horseguards Road in each of the past three years.

Lord Sassoon: The levels of display energy certificate awarded to HM Treasury's 1 Horse Guard Road offices for the past three years were:
	
		
			 Year Level 
			 2008 E 
			 2009 E 
			 2010 E

GPS Stations

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government which of the 14 differential GPS stations in the British Isles are being funded by (a) the General Lighthouse Fund, and (b) the Department for Transport, under the current renewal programme.

Earl Attlee: All 14 differential GPS stations are currently funded by the General Lighthouse Fund. This is expected to continue when the current renewal programme is completed.

Gulf War Illnesses

Lord Craig of Radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to provide care and continuing support for the 10,000 armed forces veterans who are chronically ill or disabled as a result of their service in the 1990-91 Gulf conflict.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Government greatly value the service all 1990-91 Gulf veterans have given to our country, particularly as we reach the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the UK service personnel who died as a result of active service during Gulf operations at this time.
	The Government recognise that some Gulf veterans are ill and that in some cases this may be due, in some part, to their time in the Gulf. In such cases compensation is available in the form of a war pension, and appropriate medical care is provided by the NHS. As at 30 September 2010, some 4,790 Gulf veterans were in receipt of an ongoing war pension.
	In addition, our Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) is available to provide medical advice relating to service in the Gulf. The MAP is available to veterans who have deployed on operations since 1982, and offers comprehensive physical and mental health assessments for veterans who feel that their ill-health may be linked to military service.

Haiti

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness of their bilateral and multilateral programmes for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Haiti; what lessons they have learned from the programmes; and what action they are taking and advocating.

Baroness Verma: The UK's bilateral work in Haiti focuses only on humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction. We contribute to reconstruction and rehabilitation in Haiti through our share of European Union programmes, as well as through multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and United Nations. These agencies monitor and report on the impact and effectiveness of their programmes, and we use our position on their boards of directors to ensure that the priorities they set help those who need it most. We have been concerned by the pace of implementation since the earthquake, but this is now increasing. For example, the World Bank's disbursement rate in Haiti is considerably higher than in the rest of the world. We continue to encourage the delivery of pledged aid as quickly as possible, but recognise that Haiti remains a difficult environment in which to deliver aid.
	A persistent problem of aid effectiveness in Haiti has been poor aid co-ordination among the many different agencies. The multilaterals supported by the UK work closely with the Government of Haiti and its Interim Commission for Haiti Reconstruction. Lessons are being learned about improving co-ordination, and we will continue to push for greater co-ordination efforts in future. The UK supports the proposed establishment of a Joint Evaluation Support Office in Haiti to share lessons between programmes. To date, the post-earthquake emergency response has been subject to a joint evaluation, but reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes have not.

Insurance: Gender

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take action to ensure that the judgment of the European Court of Justice on gender equality in insurance does not affect the development of an efficient United Kingdom insurance market.

Lord Sassoon: The Government are disappointed by this judgment. We made very clear our concerns about any move to prevent the use of gender as a risk factor in the pricing of insurance policies.
	The Government will continue to work closely with the Financial Services Authority and the Association of British Insurers in order to ensure that the negative impacts for customers and industry are reduced as far as possible.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United States' veto of a draft United Nations Security Council resolution on Israel's settlements.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The United States decided to exercise its veto and set out its reasons in a statement following the vote on 18 February 2011.
	The UK came to a different view, together with France, Germany and other UN Security Council members and voted in favour of the resolution. Together with France and Germany, the UK issued an explanation of vote setting out why we had voted in favour: we believe that settlements are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and constitute a threat to a two-state solution.
	The entire international community, including the United States, should now support 1967 borders as the basis for resumed negotiations. The result should be two states, with Jerusalem as the future capital of both, and a fair settlement for refugees.

Libya

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arms have been sold to Libya since 2004 by British companies.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government do not hold details of actual sales. However, the Government do hold details of export licensing decisions. This information is published in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (eg military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view on the Strategic Export Controls: Reports and Statistics website at https://www.exportcontroldb.berr. gov.uk/eng/fox. Currently this includes information up to 30 September 2010. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2010 will be published in April 2011 and information covering 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011 will be published in July this year.

Local Authorities: Grants

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on community safety of the delay in informing local authorities in England of the grant allocations they will receive for the financial year 2011-12 from the £56.8 million Community Safety Fund, and of the further reduction in those allocations that has been proposed for 2012-13.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Local Government Finance Report, published on 31 January 2011, included the total amount of Community Safety Fund being made available to local authorities in England for 2011-12 and 2012-13. Local authority chief executives were then notified of their individual allocations on 9 February 2011. It would not be possible to prepare a meaningful assessment of any impact arising from this timeframe. The Community Safety Fund is not ring-fenced, and so spending decisions are made by individual local authorities. This means that the impact on local areas of the public expenditure reductions must be determined by local authorities and other local agencies and cannot be determined by central government. A distributional impact analysis for the spending review was published by HM Treasury and can be viewed via the following link: http://cdn. hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_annexb.pdf.

Michael Savage

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the ban on Mike Savage, also known as Michael Alan Weiner, from entering the United Kingdom.

Baroness Neville-Jones: There are no current plans to review the exclusion of Michael Savage from the United Kingdom.

Myanmar

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will seek to persuade the international community substantially to increase support for cross-border humanitarian assistance and funding for informal civil society groups promoting human rights and democracy in Myanmar.

Baroness Verma: The Government will encourage other donors to follow our example in providing aid for the people of Burma. We are expanding our programme substantially over the next four years. We will focus on mother and child health, controlling malaria, primary education, food production, affordable credit for women, civil society and people affected by conflict. Our aid will be provided though the United Nations and non-governmental organisations, not the Burmese central government. A proportion of our aid will be delivered from neighbouring countries, in instances where that is the most effective way to reach people with the greatest needs.

Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the resignation of the Palestinian Authority's cabinet.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We understand that President Abbas has asked Prime Minister Fayyad to form a new government, which he has accepted. We continue to provide strong political and financial support for the Palestinian Authority's state-building programme. President Abbas visited the UK from 6 to 8 March 2011 and this is one of the issues that my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary plans to discuss with him.

Pensions

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what would be the cost of abolishing the regulations freezing state pensions for those who qualify and are living overseas.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what would be the cost of abolishing the regulations freezing state pensions, without retrospection, for those who qualify and live in (a) each member of the Commonwealth, (b) the United States of America, and (c) the Philippines.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what would be the cost of abolishing the regulations freezing state pensions, without retrospection, for those who live in the British overseas territories.

Lord Freud: The information is in the following table. Note that residents of the USA and the Philippines are not subject to regulations freezing their state pensions.
	Column A in the table gives estimates of the cost of uprating frozen-rate state pensions in 2011-12 only.
	Column B gives estimates of the cost of fully uprating frozen state pensions from the date they were frozen. The estimates assume no backdated payments.
	Estimates are for the 2011-12 tax year only.
	Estimates are based on the proposed rates of state pensions for the 2011-12 tax year, which require approval by Parliament.
	
		
			 Estimated costs in 2011-112 of unfreezing the frozen state pensions of all recipients, and residents of Commonwealth countries and the British Overseas Territories.  (£ million, 2011-12 price terms) 
			 Country of residence (A) Cost of uprating frozen-rate state pensions in April 2011-12 only (2011-12 price terms) (B) Cost in 2011-12 of uprating frozen-rate state pensions fully from date they were frozen, with no backdated payments (2011-12 price terms) 
			 All with frozen State Pensions £50 million £620 million 
			 Of which resident in:   
			 Commonwealth £50 million £600 million 
			 Of which:   
			 Australia £20 million £300 million 
			 Canada £10 million £170 million 
			 New Zealand Under £10 million £50 million 
			 South Africa Under £10 million £50 million 
			 Other Under £10 million £30 million 
			 British Overseas Territories Under £1 million Under £1 million 
		
	
	Source: DWP estimates based on 5 per cent sample administrative data for 31 March 2010.
	Notes
	1. Figures are in £ million per annum in 2011-12 price terms.
	2. Figures except for British Overseas Territories have been rounded to the nearest £10 million. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	3. State pension here includes basic state pension, graduated retirement benefit, state earnings related pension scheme, and state second pension. It includes inherited amounts, and additional amounts received due to individuals having deferred claiming their state pension.

Pensions

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people living in each British overseas territory are affected by the regulations freezing state pensions.

Lord Freud: The information is in the following table.
	Individuals resident in frozen-rate countries in the British Overseas Territories in receipt of state pension in May 2010, by country of residence.
	
		
			 Country of residence Number of individuals 
			 All British Overseas Territories 630 
			 Cayman Islands 150 
			 Falkland Islands & Dependencies 70 
			 Montserrat 120 
			 St Helena & Dependencies 80 
			 Turks & Caicos Islands 20 
			 Virgin Islands (British) 50 
			 Anguilla 140 
			 British Antarctic Territory - 
		
	
	Source: DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	Notes
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 individuals.
	2. "-" Nil or negligible
	3. Figures are available on the tabulation tool page of the DWP website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?paqe=tabtool

People Trafficking

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty's Government what training they provide to UK Border Agency officials in juxtaposed control zones to enable them to identify trafficked children.

Baroness Neville-Jones: All UK Border Agency officers receive mandatory training on keeping children safe.
	Additionally it is mandatory for all front-line UK Border Agency staff including those working at juxtaposed ports to undertake trafficking awareness training which will assist in identifying those migrants who might have been trafficked.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will investigate and report on the installation and use of databases, including proposed databases, by South Wales Police and their partner members for recording alleged and actual anti-social behaviour; if so, how; on what timescale; and whether they will place all reports in the Library of the House.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government have no plans to specifically investigate and report on the installation and use of databases, including proposed databases, by South Wales Police and their partner members for recording alleged and actual anti-social behaviour.
	However, South Wales Police is taking part in the anti-social behaviour call-handling and casework management trials which were launched by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Crime Prevention on 4 January and which are supported by the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). The trials explore better ways to respond to calls and identify and protect vulnerable people. This includes installing IT systems to enhance sharing of information on cases between agencies, but not establishing new databases. An assessment of how this improves service delivery will be published in due course.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how an individual can discover whether their details were held on a database in use by the South Wales Police and their partner members for recording alleged and actual anti-social behaviour; and how those individuals would apply for the removal of their name.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Individuals can make a subject access request to the relevant authority, including police forces, for their own personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998. Under Section 10 of the Act, an individual can ask the authority to stop processing their personal data.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how an individual can obtain full details, including any statements relating to evidence causing an entry to be logged, of a record on a database in use by the South Wales Police and their partner members of allegations of anti-social behaviour made against them if (a) on receipt of notification by a police officer, or (b) as a result of their discovery, they have been recorded on such database.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Individuals can make a subject access request to the relevant authority, including police forces, for their own personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed reforms of what data may be held on individuals on databases in use by the South Wales Police and their partner members will cover entries made on individuals accused of anti-social behaviour.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government are not proposing any reforms of data that may be held on individuals on databases in use by the South Wales Police and its partner members covering entries made on individuals accused of anti-social behaviour. However, the force is taking part in the anti-social behaviour call-handling and casework management trials which were launched by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Crime Prevention on 4 January and which are supported by the Home Office, Association of Chief Police Officers and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. The trials explore better ways of responding to calls and identifying and protecting vulnerable people, including use of IT systems to enhance sharing of information on cases between agencies. An assessment of how this work improves service delivery will be published in due course.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of individuals whose details of alleged or actual anti-social behaviour are on a database held by the South Wales Police and their partner members have been charged with an offence or prosecuted.

Baroness Neville-Jones: These data are not held by the Home Office, but more information can be obtained by contacting South Wales Police.

Police: Databases

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial and other assistance has been provided by the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers and other government departments or agencies to the South Wales Police Authority, South Wales Police or their agents for the design, provision, commission and maintenance of hardware and software for the cross-authority anti-social behaviour database records of alleged, suspected or actual anti-social behaviour; and how many details and records the database is designed to hold.

Baroness Neville-Jones: South Wales Police has received financial assistance from the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities in Wales, as well as advice from the Home Office, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). The database will hold as many records as required.
	The force is taking part in the anti-social behaviour call-handling and casework management trials which were launched by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Crime Prevention on 4 January and which are supported by the Home Office, ACPO and HMIC. The trials explore better ways to respond to calls and identify and protect vulnerable people, including use of IT systems to enhance sharing of information on cases between agencies. An assessment of how this work improves service delivery will be published in due course.

Police: Databases

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: To ask Her Majesty's Government which police forces in England and Wales maintain databases or other record-keeping systems holding details of alleged anti-social behaviour by persons who have not been arrested, cautioned, prosecuted or convicted of such activities; and at what rank officers are authorised to make such records.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Home Office does not keep a central record of which police forces in England and Wales maintain such databases or record-keeping systems, or at what rank officers are authorised to make such records. It is the responsibility of the relevant data controller in each police force to ensure that storage of any data complies with requirements under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the names of all databases in use by police forces or their partner members in England and Wales on which details of alleged or actual anti-social behaviour are held; how many individuals' details are held on each; and for how long individual records are retained on each database.

Baroness Neville-Jones: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will propose a legal definition for the categories of anti-social behaviour to be used for data held on individuals on the databases in use, and proposed by, police constabularies and their partner members.

Baroness Neville-Jones: As part of an independent review, the National Statistician is considering the current definitions of crime and anti-social behaviour used in official statistics, and whether or not any changes are needed. She is due to report later this year and her recommendations will be subject to public consultation.

Police: Databases

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a person found not to be in breach of the law following an allegation of anti-social behaviour would have their details held on an anti-social behaviour database under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The holding of information on individuals who are alleged to have engaged in anti-social behaviour is a local matter. It is the responsibility of the relevant data controller to ensure that all data are processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Police: Funding

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 8 February (WA 50), why in the absence of a formally agreed definition of front-line police services they state that cuts in police funding will not affect front-line police services.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to police services who are placing more administrative duties on police officers as a result of the reduction of middle and back office support functions.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 8 February (WA 50), what public consultation will take place in developing a formally agreed definition of front-line police services.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government's priority is to ensure that the police service retains and enhances its ability to protect and serve the public. By improving efficiency, driving out waste and improving productivity, forces can maintain or improve the service they provide to the public even as they become leaner. Through minimising what forces spend on back and middle office functions and a range of other measures, including collective procurement, collaboration and outsourcing services, forces can make the necessary savings while protecting the front-line policing that is valued by the public.
	The Government expect forces to focus attention on how they can reduce costs in the middle and back office consistent with supporting effective front-line services and without an increased bureaucratic burden on officers. The public want police officers to be crime fighters, not form writers.

Police: Funding

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 8 February (WA 50), how they will determine whether cuts in police funding are having an impact on front-line police services.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the relationship between police funding and police effectiveness in fighting crime.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government believe that police forces can make savings while protecting the front line. We do not accept that reducing costs will cause an increase in crime. What matters is how resources are used and how officers are deployed. There is good research evidence indicating that how the police workforce is deployed can reduce crime levels.
	The police can make the front line more efficient, increasing visibility and availability on the streets as funding falls through better management, organisation and rostering. From May 2012 there will be democratic local accountability through police and crime commissioners who will themselves hold chief constables to account for delivery, including the efficiency and effectiveness of the force at a local level in fighting crime.

Ports and Harbours

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding the Duchy of Cornwall has offered to the Isles of Scilly Route Partnership for the new quays and ferry between St Mary's and Penzance.

Earl Attlee: The Duchy of Cornwall has contributed £500,000 to the Isles of Scilly Route Partnership towards the Isles of Scilly Link Scheme.

Prostitution

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 28 February (WA 268), which other organisations were represented at the roundtable to develop policy on prostitution held on 14 February.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The following organisations were represented at the roundtable:
	the Association of Chief Police Officers;
	Beyond the Streets;
	the Crown Prosecution Service;
	Eaves;
	the GMB;
	the International Union of Sex Workers;
	Make a Change (Suffolk);
	Rights of Women; and
	the UK Network of Sex Work Projects.
	It was necessary to limit the number of organisations invited to ensure that the discussion was focused. It was not possible to invite all organisations.

Refugee Agencies: Funding

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in funding for refugee advice services.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government have extended grant agreements with voluntary sector partners to provide advice and support services for asylum seekers for a further period of two years. The levels of funding provided by these grant agreements have been reduced in line with reductions in the numbers of people claiming asylum and in the numbers of people in receipt of asylum support and therefore in need of these services.
	The impacts of these reductions will vary in different locations across the UK. The UK Border Agency will continue to work closely with voluntary sector partners and others, at national, regional and local level to assess and mitigate the impact of these reductions.

Refugee Agencies: Funding

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government why contracts for the refugee integration and employment services are to end in September.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Refugee Integration and Employment Service contracts expire in September 2011 in line with the agreed contract term. In the context of the Government's strategy to tackle the fiscal deficit there is a need to make significant savings across the UK Border Agency, and it is not possible to fund a stand-alone refugee integration service beyond the expiry of the contracts.
	However, it is proposed that the most vulnerable new refugees will continue to be able to access advice and signposting through the end-to-end advisory and support services for refugees and asylum seekers which will continue to be delivered under extended agreements with the voluntary sector. In addition, UK Border Agency officials will be co-chairing a working group with the voluntary sector to identify practical, cost-neutral solutions to address the integration needs of refugees.

Refugee Agencies: Funding

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration was given to the United Kingdom's obligation under the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees when deciding to cut funding for refugee advice services.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The UK has a long and proud tradition of supporting refugees in need of protection and fully meets its international obligations. The fulfilment of these obligations is not affected by reductions in funding for advice services.

Refugee Agencies: Funding

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what specialist services will be available for refugees and asylum seekers after the recent cut in funding for refugee advice services.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government have extended grant agreements with voluntary sector partners to provide advice and support services for asylum seekers for a further period of two years. These services include, for example, helping destitute asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers to apply for asylum support and assisting those already in receipt of asylum support to notify the UK Border Agency of any changes in their circumstances.
	The levels of funding provided by these grant agreements have been reduced in line with reductions in the numbers of people claiming asylum and in the numbers of people in receipt of asylum support and therefore in need of these services.

Royal Mail: Sale

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government what public consultation has taken place on the proposed sale of Royal Mail; and what was the result of such consultation.

Baroness Wilcox: The Government's decision to remove the restrictions on the disposal of shares and share rights in Royal Mail was made on the basis of the recommendations set out in the report of the Independent Review of the Postal Sector chaired by Richard Hooper. The previous Government's decision to sell shares in Royal Mail was also based on the evidence set out in the review's report.
	The review report was based on evidence from all the major stakeholders in the postal sector. Over 200 meetings were held and the review received some 70 written submissions. Richard Hooper was asked last year to update his report to take account of developments in the market. He again received evidence both written and oral from all the major stakeholders in the sector.
	We believe that an injection of private capital and disciplines will secure the future of Royal Mail and the universal postal service.

Royal Mail: Stamps

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Post Office about the selection of subjects for its stamps.

Baroness Wilcox: Decisions relating to operational matters, which includes the selection of Royal Mail's stamp designs, are the direct responsibility of the company's management.
	The company has a well-established process for choosing themes and subjects for its stamps that celebrate or commemorate key national anniversaries or major achievements. This process involves in-depth market research amongst a cross-section of the UK population to determine the potential popularity of each subject, followed by more intensive research amongst small focus groups.
	Royal Mail receives around 2,000 suggestions for its stamps programme each year from members of the public and must reduce this number down to around 12 to 14 subjects to be taken forward under any respective annual programme, so there is a real need to maintain a well-disciplined and robust process of selection.

Sudan

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial assistance and aid they have provided to the Government of south Sudan in each year since the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial assistance and aid they have provided to the Government of Sudan in each year since the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Baroness Verma: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 2 February 2011 (Official Report, col. WA 279) on Sudan.

Transport: Air, Sea and Rail Passengers

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many passengers have (a) arrived in, and (b) departed from, the United Kingdom, in the past year (1) by air, (2) by sea, and (3) by rail.

Earl Attlee: In 2009, 88.1 million passengers arrived in the UK by air, and there were 87.5 million departures by air (excluding flights to and from oil rigs). Equivalent figures for 2010 are not yet available.
	In 2010, 10.9 million passengers arrived in the UK by sea, and there were 11 million departures by sea (excluding cruise passengers).
	Separate figures for arrivals and departures by rail are not available. However, during the 2009 calendar year, there were a total of 16.1 million passengers on services through the Channel Tunnel. There were also 706,000 passenger rail journeys between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during the 2009-10 financial year.

Unemployment

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their forecast of the number of jobs that will be lost in the public sector in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14, and (d) 2014-15, as a consequence of reductions of government spending.

Lord Sassoon: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published, as part of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 29 November 2010, projections for general Government employment to 2014-15, as follows:
	
		
			 (millions) 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 General Government Employment 5.49 5.45 5.42 5.34 5.17 
		
	
	The OBR estimated a reduction in general Government headcount of around 160,000 less than expected in the Budget 2010 forecast. The bulk of this revision reflects the Government's reforms to welfare and savings made on debt interest.

Visas

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Neville-Jones on 11 January (WA 438) and Lord Sassoon on 24 January (WA 116), whether travelling expenses and associated subsistence and accommodation payments related to working in the United Kingdom for less than 12 months under Section 338 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (a) will count towards the UK Border Agency's minimum salary for tier 2 intra-company transfers (ICTs) visas, (b) will count towards the national minimum wage, and (c) can make up over 70 per cent of the salary for such Tier 2 ICTs provided the accommodation component does not exceed 30 per cent.

Baroness Neville-Jones: When considering earnings towards the minimum salary requirement for tier 2 (intra-company transfer) applications, the UK Border Agency will take account of basic pay excluding overtime and cost of living allowances, but not expenses such as those to cover travel between the source country and the United Kingdom.
	Cost of living allowances may make up over 70 per cent of the total salary package that will be considered for tier 2 (intra-company transfer) applications, provided allowances for accommodation, whether in cash or kind, do not exceed 30 per cent (or 40 per cent in the case of short-term transfers of 12 months or less).
	Sponsors of tier 2 migrants, like all UK employers, must fully comply with national minimum wage legislation and expenses and allowances, other than accommodation allowances up to a specified level, will not normally count towards salary for this purpose.

Wreck Removal Convention Bill

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what they expect to be the impact of the Wreck Removal Convention Bill on the General Lighthouse Authorities and on the General Lighthouse Fund.

Earl Attlee: The Wreck Removal Convention Bill will simply ensure that the terms of the Nairobi International Convention for the Removal of Wrecks are complied with. It will set up a regime so that the general lighthouse authorities, if so directed by the Secretary of State, locate, mark and remove wrecks within the relevant area.
	The Bill is not expected to have any practical impact on the General Lighthouse Fund because where the general lighthouse authorities take action they should be able to reclaim all the associated costs from the ship owner who has unlimited liability.